Why Is It So Stinkin' Hard to Drink Water?

Water. It’s the stuff life is made of. Our bodies are comprised of an overwhelming percentage of it. It is Earth’s most precious natural resource barring oxygen. It’s pure goodness and so very useful for a multitude of things. Why, then, is it so blasted difficult to drink?!?!?

I try to drink water, I really do. But it’s really a challenge for me. Water is so bland, so tasteless, so….water. It’s not even that I don’t like water. Water that comes from my well is very good as water goes. I won’t touch city water with a 10-foot pole, but that’s city water—you can hardly even call that stuff water, if you want my opinion about it. Good, crisp well water, however, is quite nice. It just doesn’t taste as good as practically anything that has sugar in it is all.

The Sugar Issue

More and more, I am beginning to believe that my coke addiction is actually a sugar addiction. I was forced by my body to give up caffeine. While I don’t like it none too much, I’ve been coping with it. But still, I find myself unable to drink plain water. My discovery of caffeine-free coke was one I probably shouldn’t have made—I was going to limit myself on having just a few a week, but I’m having difficulty limiting it to just a few per day. So it’s not the caffeine that has me hooked.

What else can it be but sugar? Even when I don’t have coke in the house, I’ll go for ANYTHING else except water. I’ll drink milk, juice, decaf coffee…anything that has flavor, and usually sweet. Oh, I’ve made myself drink water here and there, but that’s exactly what it is: forced behavior. If I could crave the stuff the same way I crave coke, I’d be the most hydrated person on Earth.

Trying to Find Middle Ground

Now, don’t laugh, but I actually Googled “how to make yourself like water.” Yes, I did. Pitiful, no? But I did find some ideas that might help. I’m going to try putting berries in a pitcher of water in the fridge to see if I can get a little taste there. I’ve put lemon juice or grapefruit juice in it before, and it’s been helpful, but it’s still not what I’d call phenomenal. The La Croix was a bust…I just couldn’t make myself like it.

I have, however, discovered seltzer water. Which is basically what La Croix is, except it has way more carbonation. At least the Ingles brand does. I like that pretty good. The raspberry one is delicious. I don’t know about other brands. But if I do like it and if it helps me get more water in me and less sugar, then I think it’s a good medium.

I still struggle with my coke addiction. A lot. I haven’t given up on getting away from them, but I have given up on trying to do it cold turkey. I usually deal better with extremes, but this time it’s just not working. It has become obvious to me that I’m going to have to get healthy a little at a time…and learn balance for once in my life. And that’s going to have to include learning to like drinking water, whatever it takes to make the transition.